Table of contents for July 2022 in Getaway

I consider it my first overseas trip. Because, you know, we were flying over the sea to paradise. I recall staring out the window when we stopped in Réunion, thinking, ʻWow, Iʼm really seeing the world!ʼ What little I knew of “exotic” Mauritius was confirmed by an endless succession of smiles from islanders who spoke in beautiful lilting accents and shared a religion with my Hindu friends back home. My carefree 10-year-old self traipsed about in a sarong and a tan with a string of shells around his neck like heʼd stumbled into heaven. My mother got to relax and do whatever single moms do when on a break from the thankless grind of sixday working weeks. On the beach I spent my pocket money on coconuts and I devoured…

LUXURY, CULTURE AND STYLE IN THE HEART OF ZULULAND Just two and a half hours from Durban, mFulaWozi Wilderness Private Game Reserve stretches across 16 000ha of Zululand bushveld, 6 000ha of which have already been incorporated into Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, the oldest proclaimed nature reserve in Africa. With the dropping of fences between the parks, it is now one of the last havens where large numbers of animals, including the Big 5, roam freely. The wilderness reserve offers thrilling game drives, birding, guided walks and trails, as well as excellent photographic opportunities as the ultimate safari escape. The mFulaWozi Wilderness Private Game Reserve is home to two lodges, Biyela and family-friendly Mthembu. Both lodges are operated off the grid with solar power. This unique wilderness area embodies the spirit of…

Graeme Green GOOD NEWS FROM THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION (P 48) Graeme Green is a British photographer and journalist. His work has appeared in publications such as The Guardian, National Geographic Traveller and Forbes. He has worked in countries such as Uganda, India, Malaysia, Peru and Japan, and reported on issues ranging from human rights to poverty. He is particularly interested in wildlife and conservation, though, including strategies to protect endangered wildlife and rewilding. Graeme is also the founder of the New Big 5 project, which is supported by more than 300 of the worldʼs photographers, conservationists and wildlife charities. A New Big 5 book is due out soon. He lives in England. graeme-green.com, newbig5.com Ryle De Morny FASTEST MAN IN THE SAND (P 26) Ryle De Morny wears many…

WINNING LETTER Kayaking with frisky dolphins in CapeTown’s Granger Bay One morning in April, I invited a friend who had no kayaking experience to join me on my regular paddle route from Three Anchor Bay to Granger Bay. The weather was perfect for a 7km trip, with no wind and a calm sea. In recent years, the Heavisideʼs dolphin species has claimed Granger Bay as its territory. Interestingly, the speciesʼ distinctive markings sometimes cause them to be mistaken for baby orcas. As we progressed we saw many seals feeding on a shoal of bait fish quite close to shore, making it more likely that we would spot dolphins, as they share a liking for baby hake. Arriving at Granger Bay, there was not a dolphin to be seen. We stopped…

Striking as these images are, they exist with purpose: to help restore humankindʼs connection with our natural environment. Sacred Nature 2 is not ony filled with sublime images from the fartherest reaches of our world, but it is also a captivating read that plots the trajectory of our disconnection from the rest of the species on Earth. That rupture, argue Jonathan and Angela Scott, is linked to a failure of the human spirit. But they offer hope, too: ʻThe guiding light that burns within all of us, that sense of spirituality that transcends all beliefs and understanding, enables us to express our wonder and gratitude for the gift of life and creativity of nature. The sublime vision of a snowcapped mountain glimpsed against a sky of the most radiant blue…

Naadam, Inner Mongolia Not a dance, but Mongolian wrestling. According to Inner Mongolia’s slightly modified rules, the first wrestler to touch the ground with any body part other than his feet, loses. Naadam, Mongolia’s most important cultural festival, is the best time to see it, along with such traditional events as horse racing and archery. Held in July, Naadam originated under Genghis Khan in 1206 as a harvest celebration and a chance to review his troops. Today, festivities take place across Mongolia as well as in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, where this particular manly display was photographed in the grassland region of Xilingol. Festivities kick off with horse head fiddle-playing, singing, horse dancing, equestrian displays and Buddhist monks ceremonially chanting and praying to the gods for a blessed year…

PHILLIP DAVIES @phillip_davies_Clifton 4th Beach, Cape Town TAG US IN YOUR IMAGES ON INSTAGRAM @GetawayMagazine JÓVAN DU PLESSIS @justvon09 Table Mountain RUAN FERREIRA @rushmi_bushlife Makumu Private Game Lodge GRANT JOHNSTON @jocksjourneys Mkhuze Game Reserve CHAD BAIRD @chadbaird_photography Bonamanzi Game Reserve JUDITH STOPFORTH @Judithstopforth Van Wyksdorp NADINE LEONARD @nswildlife_photography, Kruger National Park MANDY MITCHELL @mandymitchell1156 Ixopo, KwaZulu-Natal NICOLE COUTINHO @_natures.lens_Rietvlei Nature Reserve KARL STORBECK @the_photochemist Prince Albert KOBUS VAN DER RYST @Kobus_vd_ryst Kuruman GABRIELLA SHIPMAN @gabs_wildlife photography, Kruger National Park…

1 | Black Diamond Prime M’s Shoes R2 400, blackdiamondequipment.co.za This very light shoe (302g each) has a rubber toe for solid protection when on hikes. It’s intended to be used when on an approach (for rock climbers walking the often long distances from their car to the rock face) but works just as well as a hiking shoe. The rubber sole grips well and the inside is so soft, it feels like a blanket for your foot. 2 | Victorinox Spartan Walnut Wood multi-tool 91mm R700, sharpedge.co.za Sourced from European forests, the Spartan’s natural-grain walnut handle is its most eyecatching feature and gives the knife a smooth feel. Hand-crafted, it weighs just 57g. It comes with 10 basic tools, including a can opener, screwdriver, corkscrew and two blades. 3 | Acebeam…

‘Theyʼre coming to us,ʼ said Emmanuel Ahishakiye, his voice a whisper. This was surprising news. We were geared up and psyched to climb the steep, forested slopes of Sabyinyo volcano to find mountain gorillas, a trek that might have lasted anywhere between 30 minutes and a couple of hours. But, just a few minutes into the forest, the gorillas were saving us all the trouble. ʻThe gorillas are always moving, always searching for food,ʼ explained Emmanuel, the lead guide on the trek. We heard them before we saw them, the sound of snapping branches announcing their arrival. I spotted a female among the bushes, and an infant, both obscured by leaves. And then the rest emerged, one by one, sauntering along the trail, occasionally stopping to eat and to let…